Golf tee dibble



B z-mm Nov. 1, 1955 W. K. PHILLIPS GOLF TEE DIBBLE Filed Aug. 11, 1952 W/N/am A. P/7/////0J A TTOR/VE Yd United States Patent GOLF TEE DIBBLE William K. Phillips, Houston, Tex. Application August 11, 1952, Serial No. 303,761

7 Claims. (Cl. 36-1) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in golf tee dibble adapted to form an opening in the earths surface for the reception of a golf tee.

As is well known, in the game of golf, the golf ball is placed upon a Wooden or plastic tee in order to raise the ball ofl? the ground for enabling the golfer to more easily hit the ball with the golf club. The use of these wooden or plastic tees is generally limited to the area on the golf course which is also termed the tee and such area is the place that the initial stroke with the golf club is taken for each hole.

For clarity in the following description, a wooden or plastic tee for supporting a golf ball will be hereinafter called tee and the ground area in which the tee is inserted for the initial stroke at each hole will be hereinafter called tee area.

In many parts of the country, long periods occur during the year in which the natural rainfall is insufiicient to keep the tee areas soft enough to insert a tee. In some instances, the tee areas are watered artificially to keep them soft enough to receive a tee, but the amount of water required is often so great that the expense involved renders artificial watering impractical. The result is that there are long periods during each year in which the tee areas are so hard that it is difiicult, and frequently impossible, to insert a tee into the ground of the tee area.

It is essential that the golf tees be made of a relatively soft material, like wood or plastic, to prevent damage to the face of the golf club should the tee be struck by the club when hitting the ball therefrom. Due to the relatively soft material of the tees, it has been found that when the tees cannot be forced into the hard ground by hand in the usual manner, additional force or weight applied by the shoe or a golf club is ineffective since the tees either crack or otherwise break, or they cannot be maintained vertical to the ground to apply the necessary force.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a golf tee hole forming device for forming an opening in the ground of substantially the same size as is required by a golf tee, which device is adapted to be releasably held on a shoe substantially vertical to the ground whereby the device can be readily inserted into the ground by the golfer pressing downwardly on the device with his shoe.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a golf tee hole forming device for forming a hole in the ground of substantially the same size as is required by a golf tee, wherein said device is magnetized for attraction to an element of magnetic material on the bottom of a shoe whereby said device can be held vertically with respect to the ground to enable the insertion of said device into the ground by the application of downward pressure thereon by the golfer with said shoe.

Another object of this invention is'to provide an earth puncturing device for forming a hole in the ground to receive a golf tee, wherein said device is formed with ICC an upper end having a recess for the reception of a golf spike on the bottom of a shoe, whereby said device can be aligned substantially vertically with respect to the ground by positioning said spike in said recess to enable the insertion of the device into the ground by the wearer of the shoe pressing downwardly thereon.

' The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a. reading of the following specifications and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating one form of the puncturing device of this invention in combination with a golf shoe spike on the heel of a golf shoe.

Figure 2 is an isometric view, in section, of the preferred form of the golf tee hole forming device of this invention.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating another form of the invention wherein the hole forming device coacts with a metal plate embedded in the heel of a shoe.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the body of the golf tee hole forming device of this invention, which is formed of iron, steel or an alloy thereof, or any other suitable material which has been magnetized. The puncturing device cooperates with an element formed of a magnetic material, such as iron, steel or an alloy thereof, which element is designated generally by the letter B. The element B of magnetic material is associated with the bottom of a shoe C, whereby the wearer of the shoe C may position the puncturing device A in contact with the element B and such element B will be held substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe by the magnetic attraction between the device A and the element B so that the wearer of the shoe C may apply a downward pressure on the device A to force the device A into the ground, designated by the letter G. After the device A has been inserted into the ground G, the wearer of the shoe C may remove the shoe C and the element B therewith from contact with the device A, and thereafter the device A may be removed from the ground G. The opening left in the ground after the puncturing device A has been removed can then be used for the reception of a golf tee of the usual construction, without requiring any pressure on the golf tee other than that necessary to assure a firm seating within the opening formed by the earth puncturing or hole forming device.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, therein can be seen the preferred form of the earth puncturing or hole forming device of this invention. In this form, the body A has an elongate shank section 10 which is of substantially the same diameter as the conventional golf tees. The lower end of the body A is pointed to form the point 11 which initiates penetration of the device into the ground G. The upper end of the body A has an enlargement or annular flange 12, to limit the extent of penetration of the body A into the ground and to facilitate the removal of the device after it has formed a sufliciently large opening or hole in the ground G.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vertical alignment of the device with respect to the surface of the ground is assured by an interfitting of the device with the golf shoe spike or element B attached to the shoe C. The golf shoe spike is of conventional construction and has a base plate 14 which has a screw 15 extending therefrom which is threadedly engaged with the bottom of the shoe, either on the heel or sole portion of the shoe. As shown in Figure 1, the view is of the rear end of the shoe C and the golf spike or element B is shown as being in the heel 16 of the shoe C. With the screw 15 extending upwardly and threadedly engaged with the heel 16 of the shoe, the base plate 14 has depending therefrom in a downward direction a spike point 17 which is of conical construction and generally has the end 17' thereof substantially blunt. It will be observed that the base plate 14 of the spike B has a generally curved annular section 14 which merges with the upper end of the spike point 17.

To provide for the interfitting engagement of the spike B with the body A of the device, the upper end of the body A has a recess 20 formed therein for the reception of the golf shoe spike B. This recess has its walls constructed of substantially the same contour as the outer surface of the base plate 14 and the spike point 17. Thus the recess 20 has a generally conical opening 20a into which fits the spike point 17 and has a curved annular section 20b which tapers inwardly and downwardly toward the walls of the recess portion 20a.

In the use of the hole forming device in combination with the golf shoe spike, the device is fitted over one of the spikes B whereby the spike point 17 fits Within the recess portion 20a of the recess 20 to assure the alignment of the device substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe C, so that the device may be positioned substantially vertically with respect to the ground for the insertion thereof. Since the device A is magnetized and since the spike B is of magnetic material, there is a magnetic attraction between the two parts which serves to hold the device on the spike and eliminate the use of the hands when initially positioning the point 11 of the device on the surface of the ground for the penetration thereof. With the spike B inserted within the recess 20 of the body A of the device, and the point 11 of the puncturing device in contact with the surface of the ground, the device is maintained substantially vertical with respect to the surface of the ground and it is possible to readily insert the device into the ground by the application of pressure by the wearer of the shoe without fear of the misalignment of the device as it is being inserted into the ground. The

extent of penetration of the body A into the ground G will depend upon the length of the golf tee to be inserted in the opening formed by the puncturing device, the hardness of the ground and other factors, but as a general rule, the device will be inserted until the annular flange or enlargement 12 abuts the top surface of the ground G. After the body A of the device has been inserted into the ground a satisfactory distance, the shoe C with the spike B is removed therefrom by the wearer and then the puncturing device is removed from the ground to leave the opening for the golf tee. The golf tee can then be readily inserted in the opening and, as will be appreciated, the puncturing device can be used again for forming holes for other golf tees in other places.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, the body A of the device has a shank 119 which is substantially the same as the shank of the device shown in Figure 1, although it may have a different taper on its outer surface if desired. The lower end of the body A has a point 111 and the upper end has an enlargement or annular flange 112. In this form of the invention it is not necessary to have a recess formed in the enlargement 112, since this form of the puncturing device is adapted to be used in combination with a fiat metal plate or element B which is embedded within the heel 16 of the shoe C. This flat metal plate B may take numerous forms but it is preferably a single or double layer metallic block 25 which is formed of a magnetic material and is frictionally or otherwise suitably secured in the heel 16 by an adhesive or similar means. The body A of the device is magnetized in the same manner as the body A of the form of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that there is a magnetic attraction between the body and the tint plate 25 of magnetic material. This magnetic attraction holds the puncturing device on the heel of the shoe C so that it can be positioned substantially vertical to the surface of the ground G for ready insertion therein. It will be appreciated that the shoe C shown in Figure 3 may be an ordinary walking shoe havin no spikes thereon or, in some instances, it may be a golf shoe which has the special metal plate 25 formed thereon for use with the puncturing device. The use of the puncturing device of Figure 3 is substantially the same as that of Figures 1 and 2, except that the internal support for vertical alignment of the puncturing device is not provided in the form shown in Figure 3.

Although the invention has been described above with the body A of the puncturing device as being the magnetized body and with the element B being of magnetic material, it will be appreciated that the element B may be the magnetized material and the puncturing device need not then be magnetized but can be formed of magnetic material so that it will be attracted to the elements B. Of course, it is preferable that the puncturing device A be the magnetized part because it can then be used with conventional golf spikes and other metal plates.

It is believed evident from the foregoing description that an earth puncturing or hole forming device has been devised which is well adapted to eliminate the difiiculties now present in attempting to insert the conventional golf tees into hard ground, such puncturing device being of a compact size for easy handling and carrying in the pocket of the user. It Will also be appreciated that such device eliminates the necessity for the User to bend over and attempt to hold onto the puncturing device while inserting it into the ground, while at the same time being easily and quickly removable from the shoe when the desired penetration of the ground has been effected.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a shoe having an element of magnetic material associated with the bottom thereof, a golf tee hole forming device comprising a magnetized rigid body adapted to be attracted to said element, said body being elongate with a point on one end and an enlargement on the other end, said enlargement being adapted to contact said element to hold said body of said hole forming device substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said shoe, whereby said device can be held substantially vertical to the ground to enable the wearer of the shoe to press downwardly on said device for forcing said device into the ground.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said element of magnetic material is a flat plate embedded in the bottom of said shoe.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said element of magnetic material is a golf spike secured to the bottom of said shoe.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said element of magnetic material is a golf spike secured to the bottom of said shoe, and said enlargement on said puncturing device has a recess therein into which said spike fits for assuring substantially vertical alignment of said device with respect to the ground when the wearer of the shoe presses downwardly thereon.

5. A hole forming device for use with a shoe having a golf spike of magnetic material on the bottom thereof, comprising a magnetized body having an elongate shank section with a point on one end thereof and an annular flange on the other end thereof, said flange being adapted to be held against said golf spike of magnetic material by magnetic attraction with said body extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe, said body having a recess in its upper end conforming to the outer contour of said golf spike to provide vertical alignment of the device and to prevent horizontal shifting thereof relative to the spike, whereby said device may be positioned substantially vertical to the ground with said point in contact therewith for insertion of said device into the ground by a downward force applied with the shoe by the wearer thereof. I

6. An earth puncturing device for forming an opening in the earths surface for the reception of a golf tee and including, a body comprising an elongate shank section pointed at its lower end for penetrating the earths surface, and an enlargement at the upper end of said shank section, said body having a recess which extends longitudinally through the enlargement and the upper portion of said shank section, said recess having its walls conforming to the outer contour of a golf shoe spike.

7. The combination with a golf shoe spike having an annular generally curved base plate with a conical spike point of magnetic material projecting therefrom, of an earth puncturing device comprising, an elongate body having a pointed lower end, said body having a recess extending downwardly from the top thereof into the upper portion of the body, said recess having its Walls conforming to the outer contour of said annular generally curved base plate and said conical spike point, and said device being magnetized whereby upon insertion of said spike into said recess said device is held in contact with said spike by reason of magnetic attraction therebetween and is held in longitudinal alignment with said spike point by the interfitting of said spike in said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,202,568 Nicosia Oct. 24, 1916 1,852,956 Czichos Apr. 5, 1932 1,959,347 Czichos May 22, 1934 2,083,175 Werner June 8, 1937 

